Press Release: CPT Demands Day One Actions from New Cleveland Mayor and City Council

Posted on by clefortransit@gmail.com

credit: NYC DOT

Today, Clevelanders for Public Transit (CPT) released a list of Day One Actions that Cleveland’s newly elected leaders must take in order to improve public transit. CPT calls on Cleveland mayor-elect Justin Bibb and incoming Cleveland City Council president Blaine Griffin to reverse the Transit Death Spiral in Cleveland with this list of tangible steps that our leaders can accomplish on the first day of their term. 

“I am part of the 23% of Cleveland households that do not have a car. I depend on transit to get me where I need to go,” said RTA rider Chris Martin. “It can be frustrating when there’s, like, 50 of us on a bus and we get slowed down because of one inconsiderate driver. Things like dedicated bus lanes would make so many trips so much faster. I’d love to see that.”

For too long Cleveland leaders have neglected our transit system, resulting in a Transit Death Spiral of repeated fare increases and service cuts resulting in continued ridership decline. In the last 15 years, transit riders have seen fare prices in Cleveland double while service has been cut over 25%. Action is needed immediately to improve transit by:

  • Remove all Jersey barriers in Public Square—the heart of Cleveland’s transit network—to bring back the intended sense of civic space, transit lane and accessibility of the $50 million Public Square renovation in 2016.
  • Get serious on climate action.  Make Cleveland a resilient city by committing to 50% of trips taken via non-auto modes by 2030. 
    • Announce a “transit-first” city-wide policy for the City of Cleveland, which has 23% of households without a vehicle, one of the highest in the country. Use city program transportation funds to meet goals.
    • Establish a Cabinet-level transportation or mobility department that works to improve pedestrian, transit and protected bicycle infrastructure, and pursue TOD programs; dedicate staff and capital funding to closely coordinate with GCRTA on street and shelter improvements.
  • Roll out the red carpet for buses. In 2020, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) approved the optional use of red paint on city streets to signify bus priority lanes. CPT recommends all current 24/7 bus lanes, such as on Superior Avenue, Ontario Street, and Euclid Avenue, be painted red to ensure bus priority and speed trip times.
  • Install signal priority for GCRTA buses on Superior Avenue as part of a comprehensive review of the central business district’s traffic flow. Most GCRTA riders use the bus, and most GCRTA buses use Superior Avenue, yet buses crawl to a standstill at many empty intersections waiting for lights to change. Buses must move faster than 3 MPH through downtown or people will not use transit.
    • Update existing pick-up/drop-off areas for valet services, delivery and ride-share vehicles to prioritize public transit instead. 
    • Optimize bus lanes, curb space and bus stops for safety and better connectivity. 
    • During construction of the Sherwin-Williams headquarters, prioritize bus routes, stops, and signals so buses are safely accessible  with minimal service disruption.
  • Stop closing the Public Square Bus Lanes for superfluous events. Closing Superior Avenue through Public Square creates delays that ripple throughout the GCRTA system and affect thousands of riders. Weekday closures in 2021 included: Holiday Tree Installation, a Recharge Auto Rally, and a City Club event. 
    • When closures are necessary, schedule work for times of low ridership, including overnight and on Sundays.
  • Immediately restore Transit Signal Priority for the HealthLine on Euclid Avenue, fulfilling the promise of true Bus Rapid Transit for Clevelanders.
  • Properly ticket, or otherwise stop, obstructions in bus lanes.
  • Install a crosswalk from the W. 25 – Ohio City Rapid Station to the West Side Market. 
    • Work with CPT and Vision Zero Cleveland to audit other GCRTA rail stations for pedestrian safety, including safe connections to bus stops.
  • Appoint GCRTA board members that support transit funding to end the transit death spiral. Clevelanders need more frequent and affordable transit, not more cuts and fare increases. Columbus, Cincinnati, Lake County, and Toledo have all passed transit levies in the past 5 years. It is time for Cleveland to do the same.
  • Install public bathrooms throughout the city. There are currently only two bathrooms in the GCRTA system, one for customers at the Stokes-Windemere convenience store when it is operating and one at the seldom used Stephanie Tubbs-Jones Transit Center.
  • Regional Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). Create a regional partnership to rezone and concentrate affordable, lead-free housing along GCRTA rail stations and frequent bus corridors as recommended by NOACA and the WSP study commissioned by the Greater Cleveland Partnership.
    • Allocate substantial incentives through potential new or existing  sources of funding to lead on this partnership
    • Require new developments to implement a certain amount of transportation demand management (TDM) components, based on specifics of the project (e.g. size, location, parking spaces provided). Begin with certain TOD priority areas and work out to the rest of the City of Cleveland over time.
    • Consider developing a TOD scorecard with a menu of options that developers must adhere to, similar to San Francisco and Arlington County, VA.
  • Decriminalize fare evasion. Working with Cleveland City Council, repeal Cleveland Ordinance 605.11 Misconduct Involving a Public Transportation System.
  • Pass a comprehensive transportation reform package that includes:
    • Tax parking lot owners to fund transit and transportation alternatives. Implementing a $0.10 per square foot commercial parking tax would generate over $20 million per year and encourage development, generating 6-20 times the tax revenue than empty parking lots.
    • Eliminating parking minimums, zoning changes to support equitable transit-oriented development, density bonuses and creating transportation demand management mandates for projects with public funding.

Cleveland is the poorest big city in the nation. Paying more money for less service isn’t working. Northeast Ohio transit riders cannot wait any longer for action from Cleveland City Hall. With CPT’s Day One Actions, Justin Bibb, Blaine Griffin, and Cleveland City Council can start to make transit better and reverse the death spiral. 

Statement from Mayor-Elect Justin Bibb:
I appreciate the recommendations proposed by Clevelanders for Public Transit to make our city more connected and accessible for all of our residents. As Mayor, I will prioritize people over cars and continue to advocate for more reliable, affordable, equitable public transit.

Statement from Blaine Griffin via Facebook:
I believe you guys are really going to like what Council has in store for public transit. Stay tuned for the implementation of Vision Zero. Many of the solutions Clevelanders for Public Transit have proposed have already been spearheaded by Council, first under my good friend and former colleague Matt Zone and now my colleague Kerry McCormack. We also have one of our staff researchers, Annie Tillie who is very active on these matters. So, needless to say, the 134th Incoming Council will be actively involved in this conversation. Stay Tuned.

 

 

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